Scalp relaxation pillow

ABSTRACT

Based upon the principle that the continual and prolonged downward pull by the neck muscles, facial muscles and facial skin upon the scalp constricts the scalp blood vessels which nourish the hair roots, this hollow pillow in response to the weight of the user&#39;&#39;s head sets up a counter-acting upward force which counteracts the downward pull of the facial skin and consequently reduces the constriction of these blood vessels which feed the scalp and hence nourish the hair roots therein. To this end, the pillow is made of resilient foam plastic material with laterallyextending parallel air chambers separated from one another by laterally-disposed upwardly and rearwardly-inclined yielding partition walls. The weight of the user&#39;&#39;s head produces a downward force which causes the slanting front and rear walls and partition walls to be tilted downwardly and rearwardly thereby producing an upwardly and rearwardly-inclined force which includes a horizontal component acting toward the top of the head and thereby counteracting the pull of the neck muscles, facial muscles and facial skin toward the chin of the user.

United States Patent [191 Grenier SCALP RELAXATION PILLOW [76] Inventor: George H. Grenier, 1019 Michigan Ave., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 184,433

Primary. Exar niner Francis K. Zugel Assistant Examiner-Andrew M. Calvert Attorney-Willis Bugbee et al.

[ Aug. 21, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT Based upon the principle that the continual and prolonged downward pull by the neck muscles, facial mus- Y reduces the constriction of these blood vessels which feed the scalp and hence nourish the hair roots therein. To this end, the pillow is made of resilient foam plastic material with laterally-extending parallel air chambers separated from one another by laterally-disposed upwardly and rearwardly-inclined yielding partition walls. The weight of the user's head produces a downward force which causes the slanting front and rear walls and partition walls to be tilted downwardly and rearwardly thereby producing an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined force which includes a horizontal component actingtoward the top of the head and thereby counteracting the pull of the neck muscles, facial muscles and facial skin toward the chin of the user.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,264

INVENTOR GEORGE H. GRENIER ATTORNEYS 1 SCALP RELAXATION PILLOW SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION If a person places his hands on his temples on opposite sides of his head or upon the front and back thereof and pushes the skin upward, he finds that the upward force which he exerts with his fingers is resisted by a downward force exerted by the neck muscles, facial muscles and facial skin. Based upon this fact, the present invention provides a pillow which during use gener ates a constant upward force which counteracts this downward force and relieves the scalp from the constant tension thereon and from the consequent constriction of the blood vessels therein which deprives the'hair roots of their necessary nourishment. Prolonged experimentation has shown that relief has been afforded the scalp by counteracting this downward pull by thefacial skin. The present invention provides a resilient slant pillow which provides such scalp relaxation and-consequently reduces the constriction of the blood vessels in the scalp which nourish the hair roots in the scalp.

THE DRAWING,

FIG. 1 is a triangle-of forces diagram showing the relationship of the various forces involved in the use of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a scalp relaxation or slant pillow, according to one embodiment of the invention with the top wall partly broken away to disclose the internal construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the pillow in use with the weight of the users head compressing the pillow and, tilting its inclined outer and partition walls rearwardly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 55 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical section similar to FIG. 3 but of a modified scalp relaxation pillow.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 shows a triangle-of-forces diagram showing the mechanical principles involved in the construction and operation of the scalp relaxation or slant pillow, generally designated 10, shown in FIGS. 2m 5 inclusive and the modified pillow 12 shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. I, the weight W of the head of the recumbent person lying on his back causes the slant pillow 10 or 12 to set up an oblique opposing force R directed upward and rearward at an angle A representing the angle of inclination between the resilient slanting pillow partitions described below and vertical planes intersecting them. This oblique force R includes a vertical component F which counteracts the force W by supporting the head and a horizontal component T which opposes and counteracts the pullingforce S of the facial muscles and skin toward the chin of the recumbent user.

The scalp relaxation or slant pillow 10 of FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive accordingto the present invention consists of a' hollow body, generally designated 14, of elastic deformable material, such as foam rubber or expanded polyethylene or polyurethane plastic material which has a flat bottom surface 16 and a top surface 18 with a flat central portion 20 and tapered portions 22 extending therefrom toward its opposite end surfaces 24. The body 14*hasa forward side surface 26 and a rearward side surface 28. Extending laterallly across the interior of the body 14 is'a chamber, generally designated 30, subdivided into several sub chambers 32 (FIGS.,3 and 4) by longitudinally-spaced parallel upwardly and rearwardly-slanting partitions or inclined struts 34. This construction results in a top wall 36 and a bottom wall 38 disposed in vertically-spaced relationship and interconnected by side walls consisting of opposite end walls 40 and forward and rearward walls 42 and 44 respectively.

The modified scalp relaxation or slant pillow 12 shown in FIG. 6 is constructed according to the same principles as the pillow 10 of FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive in that it has ahollow body 50 composed of a lower portion or main body structure 52, and upper portion or body super-structure 54 superimposed upon and extending but partially over the lower portion 52. The lower portion 52 is of similar construction to the hollow body 14 and consequently similar parts are designated with the same reference numerals as the body 14. The lower body portion52 is also tapered laterally like the body 14 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive, as is also the upper body portion 54.

The upper body portion or body super-structure 54, however, has forward and rearward walls 56 and 58 respectively and an uppermost wall 60. The forward wall 56 is an upwardly and rearwardly-inclincd extension of the forward wall 40 of the lower portion 52, whereas the rearward wall 58 is spaced intermediate the forward and rearward walls 40 and 42 of the lower body portion 52 at a location approximately midway therebetween. The upper body portion 54 is provided with laterally-extending tapered air chambers 62 disposed between the upper portion forward and rearward walls 56 and 58 and upwardly and rearwardly-slanting partition walls 64.

In the use'of the scalp relaxation slant pillow 10 of FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive and the lower portion 52 of the modified pillow 12 of FIG. 6, the pillow 10 or 12 is laid upon a horizontal surface, such as the top surface of the bed (not shown) with its tapered portions 22 directed toward the opposite sides of the bed and the rearward surface 28 and rearward wall 44 directed toward the head of the bed. The user assumes a recumbent position with his body directed along the direction of the axis X-X shown in FIG. 2 with his head H resting upon the central flat surface portion 20 of the upper wall 36. As previously explained above in connection with FIG. 1, the weight W of the user's head H, exerted downward, deforms the upper wall 36 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 4, further tilting rearwardly the already inclined partition walls 34 until they assume the angles A shown in the triangle-of-forces diagram of FIG. 1. It will be evident that, depending upon the position of the users head 1-! upon the pillow 10 or 12 relatively to the different partitions 34, these'partitions will not necessarily assume the same angles A relatively to their respective vertical planes, so that the angle A represents an average vertical angle of deflection of the partions 34.

As a result of this action (FIG. 1), the weight W of the users'head H produces a downward force which is opposed and counteracted by the equal and opposite force of the upward or vertical component F of the oblique force R' of the resilient elastic deformable foam material of the pillow 10 or 12. The oblique force R, in addition to its vertical component F, simultaneously produces a horizontal component T directed rearwardly from the forward wall 42 toward the rearward wall 44, thereby opposing the pulling force of the facial muscles and skin of the head l-l toward the user's chin. This in turn relaxes the tension exerted upon the scalp at the top of the users head H, reduces or substantially eliminates the constriction previously imposed upon the scalp blood vessels feeding the hair root's.

In the use of the modified pillow 12, the lower portion 52 thereof obeys the same principles and actions set forth above in connection with the pillow of FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive. In addition, however, the additional upper portion 54 which supports the neck N of the user, produces a similar rearward horizontal component T in response to the force of the weight W transmitted thereto by the users neck N. As a result, the partition walls 64 of the upper portion 54 are also tilted rearwardly into angular positions, the average of which is represented by the angle A (FIG. 1), resulting in an additional stretching effect exerted by the horizontal component T upon the neck N and the base of the head H of the user.

I claim:

1. A scalp relaxation pillow for reducing the tension of the scalp and consequently reducing the constriction of the blood vessels supplying blood to the hair roots in the scalp, said pillow comprising a hollow body of elastic deformable material having a top wall and a bottom wall disposed in a vertically-spaced relationship,

a plurality of side walls extending between said top wall and said bottom wall and defining therewith a chamber,

and horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel yieldable struts extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, all of said struts inclined relatively thereto in substantially the same direction toward one of said side walls and subdividing said chamber into horizontally-spaced approximatelyparallel subchambers.

2. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said body has a central portion and also has opposite end portions tapered laterally outward away from said central portion.

3. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said struts include a plurality of partition walls.

4. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said side walls include approximately parallel forward and rearward walls, and wherein said forward and rearward walls are also inclined relatively to said top and bottom walls in approximately the same direction as said struts.

5. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 3, wherein said struts include a plurality of said inclined partition walls having central portions and opposite end portions also tapered laterally away from said central portions.

6. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein a hollow body superstructure is superimposed upon said body and has an uppermost wall and a superstructure chamber disposed between said uppermost wall and said top wall, and also has horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel yieldable auxiliary struts so inclined and extending between said uppermost wall and said top wall and subdividing said superstructure chamber into horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel auxiliary sub-chambers.

7. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 6, wherein said superstructure extends only part way over said top wall of said body. 

1. A scalp relaxation pillow for reducing the tension of the scalp and consequently reducing the constriction of the blood vessels supplying blood to the hair roots in the scalp, said pillow comprising a hollow body of elastic deformable material having a top wall and a bottom wall disposed in a vertically-spaced relationship, a plurality of side walls extending between said top wall and said bottom wall and defining therewith a chamber, and horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel yieldable struts extending between said top wall and said bottom wall, all of said struts inclined relatively thereto in substantially the same direction toward one of said side walls and subdividing said chamber into horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel subchambers.
 2. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said body has a central portion and also has opposite end portions tapered laterally outward away from said central portion.
 3. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said struts include a plurality of partition walls.
 4. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein said side walls include approximately parallel forward and rearward walls, and wherein said forward and rearward walls are also inclined relatively to said top and bottom walls in approximately the same direction as said struts.
 5. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 3, wherein said struts include a plurality of said inclined partition walls having central portions and opposite end portions also tapered laterally away from said central portions.
 6. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 1, wherein a hollow body superstructure is superimposed upon said body and has an uppermost wall and a superstructure chamber disposed between said uppermost wall and said top wall, and also has horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel yieldable auxiliary struts so inclined and extending between said uppermost wall and said top wall and subdividing said superstructure chamber into horizontally-spaced approximately-parallel auxiliary sub-chambers.
 7. A scalp relaxation pillow, according to claim 6, wherein said superstructure extends only part way over said top wall of said body. 